Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Thomas Salzberger, Stefan Cano, Linda Abetz-Webb, Esther Afolalu, Christelle Chrea, Rolf Weitkunat, Jed Rose
Summary: Measurement in the social sciences has been lacking justification and solid conceptual theories, but with the development of psychometrics, tools for invariant measurement (Rasch measurement theory) have been provided. By co-calibrating different instruments, measurements of the same measurand can be made comparable, improving overall traceability.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Stephanie Denise M. Sison, Sandra M. M. Shi, Kyung Moo Kim, Nessa Steinberg, Sohyun Jeong, Ellen P. P. McCarthy, Dae Hyun Kim
Summary: This study created a crosswalk between commonly used frailty scales to directly compare and interpret frailty scores. Using data from multiple frailty scales, the researchers established equivalent scores with the 40-item Frailty Index. The results showed similar 4-year mortality risks across different scales within each frailty category.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Emma L. Nichols, Dorina Cadar, Jinkook Lee, Richard N. Jones, Alden L. Gross
Summary: Harmonization is important for making data comparable, but comparing cognitive performance data of older adults from different countries is challenging due to various differences in neuropsychological instruments. We introduce a new method (LLRT) for linking cognitive performance across different groups when there are no linking items available.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xiaodan Tang, Benjamin D. Schalet, Patrick Janulis, Michele D. Kipke, Aaron Kaat, Brian Mustanski, Michael E. Newcomb, Amy Ragsdale, Soyeon Kim, Sue Siminski, Pamina M. Gorbach
Summary: This study aims to validate a published crosswalk for score conversion between two depression scales, and the results show that the method can be applied to different populations.
Article
Psychiatry
Bjorn Andersson, Hao Luo, Gloria H. Y. Wong, Terry Y. S. Lum
Summary: This study established score conversions between MoCA 5-min and CPS/CPS2 in a large cohort of Hong Kong older adults with mild physical or cognitive impairment, revealing that CPS and CPS2 are more suitable for measuring severe cognitive impairment while MoCA 5-min is better suited for measuring mild impairment.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Xiao-Jie Huang, Hai-Yan Ma, Xue-Mei Wang, Jing Zhong, Dong-Fang Sheng, Ming-Zhi Xu
Summary: The present study aimed to equate the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 with HADS assessment in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and generate conversion tables. The results showed that the conversion tables were valid and had acceptable reliability, allowing for direct conversion of raw scores from one instrument to another.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Hannah E. Jongsma, Vanessa G. Moulton, George B. Ploubidis, Emily Gilbert, Marcus Richards, Praveetha Patalay
Summary: Valid and reliable comparisons of psychological distress across different cohorts and life stages are hindered by differences in measurement tools. This study aimed to examine the distribution and trends of psychological distress in adulthood by calibrating the scales of distress measures used in different British birth cohorts. The results showed an inverse U-shaped trajectory of distress across adulthood, but there were differences in point estimates between measures and methods, especially when comparing different cohorts.
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Philip J. Batterham, Aliza Werner-Seidler, Bridianne O'Dea, Alison L. Calear, Kate Maston, Andrew Mackinnon, Helen Christensen
Summary: Screening for psychological distress in adolescents is important, and the Distress Questionnaire-5 (DQ5) is a reliable measure for this purpose. The study found that DQ5 had good fit to a unidimensional construct, strong criterion and predictive validity, and sensitivity to change. The brevity and ease of interpretation of DQ5 make it suitable for screening in schools.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Psychology, Mathematical
Neil Hester, Jordan R. Axt, Nellie Siemers, Eric Hehman
Summary: Racial attitudes, beliefs, and motivations play a crucial role in theories of prejudice and discrimination. The accuracy of these theories in explaining behavior relies on accurate measurement of these latent constructs. In our study, we evaluated the validity of 25 race-related scales and found that while they showed adequate internal reliability, many of them had poor model fit and failed to capture their intended latent constructs. Moreover, our findings suggest that the theoretical space of racial prejudice is saturated with scales that may not effectively capture distinct latent constructs.
BEHAVIOR RESEARCH METHODS
(2023)
Article
Nursing
Raziyeh Ghafouri, Sara Lotfi-Bajestani, Malihe Nasiri, Kayoko Ohnishi, Foroozan Atashzadeh-Shoorideh
Summary: This study validated the Persian version of the moral distress scale in mental health nurses, demonstrating its validity and reliability with 15 items across three factors.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Quinta Seon, Stanley Hum, Maria Tuineag, Barbara Pavlova, Serge Beaulieu, Outi Linnaranta
Summary: The study investigated how patients with bipolar disorder responded to anxiety scales and proposed future improvements to anxiety assessments. Results showed that BD outpatients had difficulty differentiating response options for the majority of items, leading to rescoring or deletion of some items. The final model, a unidimensional approach, maintained appropriate associations with depression, suicidality, and hypomania.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Business
Constantine S. Katsikeas, Shilpa Madan, Miguel Brendl, Bobby J. Calder, Donald R. Lehmann, Hans Baumgartner, Bert Weijters, Mo Wang, Chengquan Huang, Joel Huber
Summary: The five comments offer various perspectives on the use of multi-item scales, addressing issues such as international marketing, psychological experiments, and scale validation. They provide guidance, critique, and suggestions related to transferability, construct revelation, and scale validation. The importance of flexibility and impact in scale research is emphasized.
JOURNAL OF CONSUMER PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Physics, Particles & Fields
A. Morozov
Summary: We explore the possibility of making all Schur functions in all representations equal. While this is not possible for fixed values of time variables, it can be achieved through averaging. It seems that the corresponding measure follows a Gaussian distribution in independent time variables. The generating function for the number of Young diagrams is not simply a product but is reproduced in a non-trivial way.
EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL C
(2023)
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Melissa A. Carlson, Sarah Morris, Fiona Day, Ann Dadich, Annika Ryan, Elizabeth A. Fradgley, Christine Paul
Summary: This review identified several reliable and valid scales for measuring leadership traits and behaviors in health professionals, primarily nurses. However, the validation of leadership scales for physicians is lacking, indicating a significant gap in psychometric testing for healthcare implementation research and practice.
IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Ruth Ann Marrie, John D. Fisk, Casandra Dolovich, Lisa M. Lix, Lesley A. Graff, Scott B. Patten, Charles N. Bernstein
Summary: This study compared the psychometric properties of multiple fatigue scales in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS), Modified Fatigue Impact Scale-IBD (MFIS-IBD), and Daily Fatigue Impact Scale (DFIS) showed adequate validity and reliability for assessing fatigue in IBD.
INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Matthew Sunderland, Philip J. Batterham, Alison L. Calear, Cath Chapman, Tim Slade
Summary: Suicide plans and attempts rarely occur without prior suicidal ideation but are hard to predict. This study found that the majority of individuals who transitioned from suicidal ideation to suicide plans or attempts did so within 2 years. Several factors, including mental or substance use disorders, sexual minority status, age, gender, and family support, were independently associated with the speed of transition.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Tegan Cruwys, Baptiste Brossard, Haochen Zhou, Gabriel Helleren-Simpson, Kathleen A. Klik, Dirk Van Rooy, Philip J. Batterham, Alison L. Calear
Summary: There is ongoing interest in exploring the relationship between social constructs and mental health from different disciplines. This study aims to understand the different interpretations of 'social' by researchers and how these variables are linked to mental health, as well as the differences between academic disciplines. The results show that while approaches vary, there is significant overlap between disciplines. Psychology and psychiatry focus on social skills and emotions, while public health and social sciences focus on social relationships, status, and context as determinants of mental health. Medicine tends to focus on the social outcomes of mental health. The findings suggest potential areas for growth, particularly in intervention research that utilizes social approaches.
Article
Psychiatry
Louise M. Farrer, Bonnie Clough, Marthinus J. Bekker, Alison L. Calear, Aliza Werner-Seidler, Jill M. Newby, Vikki Knott, Piers Gooding, Julia Reynolds, Leah Brennan, Philip J. Batterham
Summary: This study examined the use and attitudes towards telehealth among mental health professionals in Australia and New Zealand during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that the majority of professionals have used telehealth and plan to continue using it, but they are less likely to use it for clients with complex issues. Participants had mixed views on the effectiveness and impact of telehealth on the therapeutic process. This highlights the need for guidance to ensure that telehealth remains a viable and effective healthcare medium in the future.
AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Adrian Campos, Luis M. Garcia-Marin, Helen Christensen, Philip J. Batterham, Laura S. van Velzen, Lianne Schmaal, Jill A. Rabinowitz, Neda Jahanshad, Nicholas G. Martin, Gabriel Cuellar-Partida, Douglas Ruderfer, Niamh Mullins, Miguel E. Renteria
Summary: The risk of suicide attempts may be explained by a combination of behavioral phenotypes and the risk of both physical and psychiatric disorders. Substance use behaviors and pain-related conditions are associated with an increased risk of suicide attempts.
AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Applied
Madeline Romaniuk, Chloe Kidd, Michelle Banfield, Philip J. Batterham
Summary: This study investigates the challenges faced by Australian military veterans in civilian employment by conducting one-on-one interviews with 35 veterans using a phenomenology approach. Thematic analysis reveals four major themes, including starting over, mental health, interpersonal cultural difficulties, and organizational differences. Initiatives aimed at addressing unemployment and underemployment for veterans should focus on preparedness, education, and expectation management for both veterans and civilian employers/colleagues, as well as emphasize interpersonal and organizational cultural differences, such as structure, teamwork, role clarity and feedback, understanding military skills, and reducing mental health stigma and discriminatory practices.
JOURNAL OF EMPLOYMENT COUNSELING
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Darren Hedley, Philip J. Batterham, Simon M. Bury, Angela Clapperton, Kathleen Denney, Cheryl Dissanayake, Phoenix Fox, Thomas W. Frazier, Emma Gallagher, Susan M. Hayward, Jo Robinson, Ensu Sahin, Julian Trollor, Mirko Uljarevic, Mark A. Stokes
Summary: The study developed and validated the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale-Modified (SIDAS-M), a five-item assessment for measuring suicidal ideation in autistic adults. The results showed that the SIDAS-M had good psychometric properties and demonstrated good convergent and divergent validity. The scores on the SIDAS-M were found to significantly predict suicidal behavior in follow-up interviews. Overall, the SIDAS-M showed potential as a useful tool for identifying increased suicidal risk in autistic adults without intellectual disability.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Katie McGill, Navjot Bhullar, Philip J. Batterham, Alayna Carrandi, Sarah Wayland, Myfanwy Maple
Summary: Suicide bereavement poses challenges for many individuals, yet there is a lack of postvention responses and evidence to guide them. A survey of 18 postvention experts revealed that navigating grief, managing relationships, and dealing with practical challenges were the most important issues for people bereaved by suicide. Access to information, practical assistance, and non-judgmental support were deemed crucial early on in the bereavement period.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Philip Batterham, Amelia Gulliver, Matthew Sunderland, Louise Farrer, Frances Kay-Lambkin, Angelica Trias, Alison Calear
Summary: Digital mental health (DMH) programs can be effective in treating and preventing mental health problems, but community engagement is low. Trust in the organization, anonymity, and adequate information are the top factors influencing participation.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Samantha J. Lynch, Matthew Sunderland, Miriam K. Forbes, Maree Teesson, Nicola C. Newton, Cath Chapman
Summary: This study explored the associations between high-risk personality traits and psychopathology in a large adolescent sample, finding that these personality traits were related to specific dimensions and symptoms of psychopathology among adolescents.
DEVELOPMENT AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Substance Abuse
Rachel Visontay, Louise Mewton, Matthew Sunderland, Steven Bell, Annie Britton, Bridie Osman, Hayley North, Nisha Mathew, Tim Slade
Summary: Through comprehensive multiverse and vibration of effects analyses, it was found that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with reduced inflammation. The robustness of this association to common variations in research parameters has wide-reaching implications for understanding disease aetiology and public health policy.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Matthew Sunderland, Nicholas Olsen, Rachel Visontay, Cath Chapman, Louise Mewton, Lexine Stapinski, Nicola Newton, Maree Teesson, Tim Slade
Summary: There is a lack of consistency in the measurement of depression and generalized anxiety in adolescent samples, hindering direct comparison between studies. This study aims to develop a common metric for different scales of depression and generalized anxiety in a large adolescent sample. By using an anchor-test design and simultaneous calibration, a common metric was established for six different scales, providing scores with acceptable precision across a range of severity. Further validation testing in independent samples is needed.
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Katrina E. Champion, Cath Chapman, Matthew Sunderland, Tim Slade, Emma Barrett, Erin Kelly, Lexine Stapinski, Lauren A. Gardner, Maree Teesson, Nicola C. Newton
Summary: This study aimed to examine the association between personality traits and lifestyle risk factors such as sleep, diet, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors. The results showed that personality traits were associated with sitting and screen time, suggesting that interventions for lifestyle risk behaviors should consider individual personality traits.
JMIR PUBLIC HEALTH AND SURVEILLANCE
(2023)
Article
Substance Abuse
Matthew Sunderland, Stephanie Kershaw, Caitlin Ward, Zachary Bryant, Lily Teesson, Rebecca Whittle, Elizabeth Paton, Janine L. L. Charnley, Jaelea Skehan
Summary: The aim of this study was to generate a baseline database of print media reporting on alcohol and other drug (AOD) issues in Australia prior to the release of the Mindframe guidelines. Analysis of the media entries revealed a majority focus on alcohol, cannabis, or methamphetamine, with a significant number of entries related to law enforcement or criminal justice. Entries focusing on methamphetamine and crime/justice topics scored significantly lower compared to the Mindframe guidelines. This suggests a potential contribution to stigma and emphasis on the legal consequences of AOD use.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Jillian Halladay, Tim Slade, Cath Chapman, Louise Mewton, Siobhan O'Dean, Rachel Visontay, Andrew Baillie, Maree Teesson, Matthew Sunderland
Summary: This study examined the relationship between age, period, cohort effects and psychological distress and risky alcohol consumption. The data included 108,536 Australians aged 14-79 from birth cohorts between 1925-2005. Results showed an inverse U-shaped pattern of psychological distress throughout the lifespan, with a peak at age 60. Exceeding weekly alcohol limits was associated with higher psychological distress before age 40, while exceeding daily alcohol limits remained positively related across the lifespan. Period effects were relatively flat, with no significant changes in psychological distress over the years. Psychological distress increased gradually across birth cohorts until a notable spike among Australians born from 1980-2005, with weakening alcohol-related cohort effects. Overall, recent increases in psychological distress were not substantially explained by risky alcohol consumption, although it remained an important factor to consider alongside psychological distress.
PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH
(2023)
